Puppet Show
by Tallianna Sulbane
Summary: The sequel to The Little Sister Alliance. Miriam must keep her wits about her as Atlas plays his games with not only her life, but the lives of her family and the life of a new arrival mysteriously brought to the decaying necropolis.
1. Chapter 1

He fell like a rag doll, tumbling through the air head over heels, his arms going like windmills twisting and turning in the air as his body was torn apart by the effects of the plasmid. He hit the floor with a hollow thud.

Miriam watched in fascination, why had he done it?

A man not in Rapture for more than half an hour and he'd just injected himself with the first liquid he could get his hands on. What sort of fool would do that?

What sort of fool would think it clever or wise to do that?

She knelt next to her companion dumb founded watching as the man shook on the floor below. She shot the woman beside her a questioning look. The hazel brown ringlets shook their answer as she raised a thin finger towards the entrance way.

Miriam frowned in confusion and looked. Two splicers stood there their shadows casting shaky outlines over the man's body; they approached dragging their bodies closer, each step painfully jerky a sickening reminder of the lack of sanity that lay within.

Miriam's heart went out to the man; he would probably not survive this, his first encounter with a splicer. She watched, for she could do nothing else and the dominant among the two butted the man with the end of his rusted pipe. All they could do was to wait, squeezed as they were in the cramped vent, its width barely big enough for one let alone the two of them.

They'd both abandoned the niceties of society, they had no place in Rapture, they were unfazed by just how in each other's space they were, laying stacked one arm slid under the others body, legs twisted together in an awkward knot all so they could watch this new arrival to rapture.

Miriam let her eyes drift to the shadowed plains of her companions face.

Doctor Brigid Tenenbaum. A German scientist raised in the prison camps of the Second World War, discoverer of the sickly yellow substance that destroyed every being within these scarred hallways, mutilator of hundreds of little girls, destroyer of lives, a morally inept cold woman with no outward signs of regret or sympathy to anyone or anything that she hurt, bitter and cruel… and Miriam's trusted and loved friend, a woman she had fought with over the last six months, a woman she would trust with her life and with the life of her daughter.

They made an odd partnership, but they needed each other, she knew that. For all her strength Tenenbaum was faltering in her mission before she'd rescued Miriam. Now they acted as one to save as many of the little girls as possible.

Miriam was surprised by the look upon Tenenbaum's face, she had expected a softening of the woman's features perhaps a glimmer of sympathy, but the dear doctor looked un moved. In fact if nothing else she looked hardened.

"Idiot" she muttered under her breath, eyes never moving from the man now being prodded by a Little Sister and her Big Daddy.

Miriam remained silent and watched as the little girl wandered off into the tunnel. She felt the movement beside her as Tenenbaum worked her way backwards down the vent.

"What about him?" Miriam asked not looking at Bridget but focusing her attention on the figure below.

She felt warm damp breath on her cheek as Tenenbaum paused and looked at Miriam, " He'll die within hours at zis rate, leave him".

She started off down the tunnel again then stopped when she noticed Miriam was not following. "Miriam?" she asked concerned with how the woman was still watching the newcomer.

"You go ahead" she said softly as she saw the man stirring, "I want to see what Atlas has planned for him".

Tenenbaum didn't say anything at first, she studied the back of Miriam's head with an intense interest, confused she shook her head, " Atlas is dangerous" she warned her tone intense, "don't get too close".

Miriam smiled reassuringly looking at Tenenbaum with confident eyes, "I know" she said, "Don't worry. I'll radio in when I can and meet you later".

Tenenbaum reluctantly nodded "be careful", then she turned and left.

"You too she echoed after her.

The man was rising now and staggering towards the doorway, Miriam steadily crawled backwards and headed for the connecting passage way that would lead her to the room he would next reach.

Meanwhile in another part of the decaying metropolis a man drew a long smoky breath from the dregs of his cigarette. He watched the fuzzing monitor before him as the split image portrayed the two most important people in Rapture tonight.

He watched contently as both moved along the paths he had set them on. Stubbing the last remainder of the cigarette in the shards of a fractured beer glass, he rubbed the stubble on his chin and picked up the receiver of an old worn out radio. Licking his lips he thought about what he would say careful to plan out all that he should and shouldn't mention, after all better to keep them ignorant.

He pressed the worn red button on the receiver and spoke in his well-practiced reassuring voice leaning back in his chair swinging his legs up to rest on his desk.

"My dear woman" he announced suppressing a chuckle as he caught her jump at the sound of his voice.

Through the grainy green toned image on the screen he could see her scrabbling desperately for the radio she carried, once she'd located it. She lifted it to her lips and hissed into it.

"Atlas", she cast around maybe looking for security camera.

"To your left" Atlas said lazily,

She turned and fixed her eyes and sights on it lifting her little revolver to the lenses.

"I wouldn't do that" he said calmly flicking a stray spec of ash from his shirt.

"Why not!" she hissed again obviously angry.

"Well you wouldn't want our new guest coming to investigate would we?"

She kept the gun raised for a moment staring directly into Atlas' face as if she could actually aee him. Then with a frown that would put the kraut to shame she lowered her gun.

"What do you want?" she bitterly.

"That's better" Atlas said smugly leaning forward to touch the flickering screen, "now me bonny eyed beauty it's time to repay your debt" he said casually brushed away some dust from the screen, lingering slightly too long on the woman's curved body.

She scowled deeply at him.

"Come now Miriam" he teased "where's that lovely smile I've grown so fond of?"

She remained stoic, her frown almost deepening.

Atlas let his fingers slide down her figure on the monitor leaving a trail of clear glass behind.

"Now lass you've not met our new arrival yet so I would suggest you shuffle on over there and get acquainted".

Something in the room made Miriam turn, with glee Atlas realised it was Jack.

The effect of the stranger was instant, both raised their respective weapons and aimed for the others head.

"Whoa there buccoes" Atlas jumped in "Would you kindly lower your weapons for a moment".

Jack obeyed instantly his monkey wrench falling to his side, Miriam frowned yet lowered her gun.

"Good. Now Jack you wouldn't want shoot your new guide would you?"

In unison both his little puppets blurted out "GUIDE!"

The crackly voice came back through the radio in a familiar Irish sing-song "You heard me GUIDE".

Jack looked at the woman in front of him up and down, he saw a women of indeterminable age for she, although her body seemed to be that of young woman, her face was marred on one side by a long deep scar running from the crest of her eye brown to the middle of her cheek and was impossible to determine whether she be young or old.

She seemed well dressed compared to the women he had come across so far, she wore a what must have once been a white floral dress with a victorian print under a worn fitted brown coat that came down to just above her knees. Her knees were bare and smeared with what he guessed to be oil and industrial grime, yet surprisingly smooth and he wondered completely off subject how anyone down here had time for such niceties as shaving.

"Atlas I don't…", the woman's voice roused Jack from his wanderings.

Atlas interrupted her without a moment's thought "Miriam could I speak to you in private for a minute" it wasn't a request.

Atlas could see Jack frown on the screen, Miriam walked off a little way and held the short wave radio to her ear.

Atlas' care free tone lost its easy manner as he whispered to Miriam's channel, "now you listen to me lass!" he hissed, "an eye for an eye, I helped you save your little one so you're going to help me with Jack".

"Atlas I'm not going to play nanny to your new crony" Miriam snapped back, " I have other things too do, besides you have people to help you. What about Miss Miclintok?"

Atlas gritted his teeth at mention of that woman's name, "Don't forget Miriam I can hurt you and your little daughter" he said dangerously, "You'll do as I say unless the next time you head on home you just want to find a pile of bloodied corpses!"

Miriam was silent, Atlas could see her shoulder shaking, "You help me I leave you alone and you and the good doctor can play mamma to all the little sisters you want" he reasoned , "but, cross me and I will make you suffer."

He lent back in his chair casually twisting the cord of the radio in his hands "Do we understand each other?" he asked.

Miriam was silent for a long while, Atlas waited, then finally "What about Bridgid?"

Atlas sighed, he hadn't thought about that meddling Kraut, he quickly thought up a plan, "you're not allowed to contact her" he couldn't have Tenenbaum figuring out the kid was, "if find you communicating her…" Suddenly an idea stuck him, "destroy your radio".

"What?" Miriam shouted, making Jack turn to look at her.

"Do it" Atlas ordered "Jack has a radio so you don't need yours"

"But…" Miriam pleaded looking to security camera.

"Do it or Alice may not be there when you get back"

Miriam breathed a heavy shuddering sigh then she lay her radio on the tiled floor, using her pistol she shot twice into is metal casing. The sudden bang made Jack jump but Atlas remained coolly satisfied when he saw the devise crackle and sizzle into a useless pile of scrap.

"Right me pals you'll need to be heading to port Neptune", Atlas declared chirpily "now lets get a move on, the devil ain't a quitter".


	2. Chapter 2

_Just a quick note to all my followers and new readers..._

_I'm so sorry it has been such a long time coming but I'm afraid this story will have much slower updates than the little sister alliance for the main reason that i'm now 20 and have to focus on my university work, but i hope to at least finish this leg of Miriam's story before summer._

_Enjoy!_

* * *

He watched her with an absent interest as he rubbed the blood from his wrench, his hands stinging as the grazes he'd no doubt sustained from wielding it grated against the rusted surface.

She was loading her gun, coolly sliding in each bullet until it hit the base of the barrel with a tiny click. She hadn't looked his way since Atlas had given out her orders.

What was it he called her?

Miriam?

Yes that was it.

Miriam, it seemed familiar somehow, as if his tongue already knew the shape of it as it rolled around his lips, a hazy memory of a person but not a face, déjà vu perhaps? He shook the feeling from his head, more important things faced him now, the top most one on his list was finding a way out of this city.

The woman had finished loading her pistol, she stood slanted almost awkwardly as if she didn't know how to react to him. She had no such problem with her eyes he noticed. They bore into him cold and hard like shards of bitterly frozen icicles ready to strike him down should she judge it necessary.

He would have to watch his back around this woman, she may be more of a hazard than a help.

How was he going to reach Port Neptune with this headache…

_Wait_ Atlas hadn't told her where she was supposed to be guiding him too _Why was that?_ Surely it was obvious to tell her at least that much.

_I suppose that's now my job_ he muttered silently _Great_ that meant breaking the silence they had happily slipped into.

He licked his dry lips unsure how to begin, "Uh…Miriam?"

She answered him with a dangerous scowl, "what?"

Jack felt a little relieved that at least he'd got her name right, but her scowl put him on edge, "did Atlas mention that I'm.. I mean we're heading to Port Neptune?"

She walked towards the door, "No he didn't" she said quietly passing mere inches away from Jack without a backwards glance, now entirely focused on the door and what lay beyond. The door that

Jack had just come from.

"Hey wait I just…" he said reaching out to catch her arm.

As his fingers reached the worn surface of her jacket he felt her immediate withdraw, she jumped as if a high voltage had sprang from his fingertips, not that it was unlikely that it had thanks to the plasmid he'd injected. She twisted round almost graceful, but her face marred the action, in the briefest of moments Jack saw a different woman.

Terror, naked and harsh before his eyes stretched out Miriam's face, raking at her flesh turning her skin as white as paper.

He pulled his hand away sharply stung by her fear, and as soon as he had her face fell back into a neutral yet cold glare.

There was a breaths silence, Jack could hear the gentle ambient _drip drop_ that always seemed to echo timelessly through the air. Then, her voice edged with an almost undetectable tremble Miriam spoke.

"Follow me"

Then she left walking slowly through the sliding doors and dumb founded Jack followed.

* * *

Miriam had her gun raised to eye height stretched out at arm's length before, she was only ahead of Jack by a meter or so but it was adequate room to allow her mind to wander. She still felt the tug on her skin as if he still clasped her arm, it burned beneath her skin in a row of perfect finger prints. She glanced down briefly but only saw her own wrist with no sign of a mark or any indication that his fingers had been there at all.

A shiver crept up her spine, the scars on her face began to itch. She could still feel his knife slicing across her skin, the fevered desire in his hollow eyes, the clammy cold of his damp breath on her cheek.

She brushed her hand across her cheek carefully, the pit of her stomach dropped as her fingers caught the edge of the longest scar. She took in a steadying breath, slow ,deliberate and as quiet as she could make it. Her nerves started to settle back into their normal state of tension.

"Nobody cares for manners these days…"

Miriam stopped dead, frozen to the spot, shadows moved in front of her and she heard the quick click of heels against the broken tiles. She guessed rapidly where the head would emerge and traced the nearing steps.

She knew Jack was right behind her, she could see his shadow out of the corner of her eye. She dare not look at him and couldn't speak to him for fear of alerting her target. She just had to pray that he would be wise enough to stay still and silent.

The footsteps were very close now, her heart thundered through her head and she felt her palms start to sweat. The gun began to get heavier in her hands, the barrel trembled I her grasp.

She frowned, she'd survived for a whole year down here by herself, then six months as part of Tenenbaum's rescue mission. So why was she so petrified by a single splicer?

A few moments ago she'd been ready to shoot Jack, square between the eyes right there in the theatre, she'd felt the same instincts kick in that had kept her alive for the last three years, wild fierce the same as might run around a cornered wild animals head just before the trigger was pulled on the gun.

But she was stronger than this fear.

Wasn't she…

* * *

Jack felt the weight of his wrench keenly as he saw the shadow in front of them grow. Miriam was shaking her gun raised and ready but it quivered.

_Some help she'll be_ he thought bitterly and took a step forward.

The creatures grisly figure emerged. It walked up right swaying unsteadily on two painfully thin legs that bulged at the knee and appeared to be swelling near the pelvis area. The upper limbs hung lopsided, leaning towards the right, the boney shoulders created a jagged slope in the center of which lolled the head. It was gaunt hollow cheeks of a pasty yellow sunk in below twitching eyes that flickered from one object to the next all the while the twisted and cracked remains of a mouth muttered sharp spits and curses at the surroundings.

It didn't see them straight away, it merely stood there groaning at the architecture, lazily raising a hand to curse a long past memory of a forgotten grudge.

Jacks tongue went dry as he raised his make shift club over his head, he felt the world around him blur as his interest was now focused on the victim before him. He hated the wet crunch that their skulls made as he brought the wrench down on them, how the brain below caused the weapon to bounce slightly before its own pressure made it split.

His stomach swirled jus thinking about it, he felt light headed like the floor was swimming about below his feet. The splicers half dead eyes snapped to Jack, the dim light caught something in its shadow, a brief glint of silver. As the splicer turned Jack caught sight of what it was, then there was a flash of light and an explosion that sent his ears ringing, then he knew it had been a gun.

* * *

_As always reviews are greatly appreciated _

_Thank you for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3: Jack and Jill

_I Can't apologise enough for the lateness of this chapter._

_I hope i haven't lost the fans gained so far through these Bioshock stories, my only excuse is that reality got in the way of fantasy._

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter  
_

* * *

Miriam let her finger slip from the trigger. Spluttering came, as thick blood mixed with bile rose up and was spat out of the sagging mouth. The body gave way under its own weight, falling to the floor with a hollow thud, limbs splayed out at twisted angles.

Miriam slipped a replacement into the empty barrel and primed the gun ready for her next target.

He hadn't moved since she'd fired, he remained standing perfectly still his back to her, wrench still half raised macabrely in mid-air. For a moment, a brief moment all she could hear was the gentle drip of the rusted pipes somewhere in the distance as the drops fell into deep pools. And there, amongst the dead there seemed to be a strange calm.

Then he turned.

Disbelief was the only word Miriam could find to describe the almost comical look on Jack's face. His eyes wide, mousey brown eyebrows raised, mouth hanging slack. He stared at her and at the gun in her hands, she found she quite liked the thought that he was surprised, but she kept her manner brisk and business like.

"We need to search the body" she moved towards where it lay and crouched down. She took a silent breath before lifting the rags aside, an aroma of alcohol, urine, rotting flesh and blood smacked her flat, but she swallowed the familiar disgust and searched for the gun.

"You shot it" Jack said his voice quiet and soft, Miriam frowned and shot him a confused glance.

"It would have killed us" she tried to assure him, thinking for some unknown reason he was effected by her morality.

This however didn't seem to be the issue, "But…" he looked down at the corpse "…you shot it straight through the throat!"

* * *

She got the distinct feeling that he didn't trust her, his eyes barely left her, they squinted sometimes analysing something before flitting away temporarily to another target. He seemed shaken. Miriam had no idea why, but he looked unnerved. Surely he didn't expect to have been able to live down here without some type of skill with a weapon?

They walked in a deeply awkward silence, though it didn't bother Miriam much, she could entertain herself with listening for splicers, the word entertain was just another one of those words that had been torn from its original meaning. Besides she wasn't really interested in chit chat. Jack however seemed to find the silence unbearable, he half opened his mouth as if to say something, paused as if he was searching for the right thing to say then gave up the whole idea and focused on what lay ahead clamping his mouth tightly shut. They'd only walked for ten minutes or so when they reached the entrance to Port Neptune and came across the first of many problems that required speaking to one another. A situation which neither party enjoyed.

They stood on the middle section of a crumbling staircase, looking down over what had once been a grand entrance hall, but now resembled a water feature, fit with a water fall and plunge pool where the water met the remaining architecture. The drop before them was not to be underestimated, it was easily twice Miriam's height with a pool at the bottom that's depth was impossible to judge, though Jack seemed to think otherwise. He looked down at it for a few moments then without hesitation and before Miriam could grab him, he jumped. Anyone else would have broken a leg from that drop at the very least, Miriam shut her eyes and waited for the crack she was sure would come, she counted out the seconds in her head. Any moment now she hear his scream.

But it never came, only a splash, a slight murmur that sounded more like a grunt and then from the darkness beyond the inside of her eyelids came a voice, one that sounded deeply fed up.

"Are you coming down or what?" he asked, his American accent thick with impatience.

She stared down at him dumbfounded, she was almost certain that her jaw was hanging open and her confusion and a fair amount of disbelief was plastered across her face. "How did you…" she started, looking down at the drop then back to Jack, "You can't have…" she couldn't find the words for her amazement.

Jack frowned "What's the problem?" he asked curtly, but Miriam simply couldn't get it out, how could anyone still be walking after a drop like that and treat the situation as if it were nothing? Jack gave her no more time for questions "If you can't make it I'll catch you".

"What?" Miriam shook her head violently, she'd barely managed the brief touch from earlier let alone being 'caught' by this strange man. The very thought made her skin start to sweat.

"Well unless you can see another way down you ain't got much of a choice now do you?" he moved forward slightly standing directly underneath where he expected her to jump.

Miriam swallowed hard, it was true there was really no other way down, the stair case just fell away to the same distance or greater on all sides, she looked at the ledge and down at Jack again. He was growing more and more impatient she could see it written all over his face. She walked up slowly to the edge, she felt dizzy just looking at it, her stomach felt heavy and her head fuzzy, but she stole herself away from her fear, taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and stepped off the ledge. She felt that strange sensation that only really came to people who trusted their safety to complete strangers and walked off high ledges, situations of which there are hopefully few. Time seemed to drip past slowly, she felt like she was falling for a lifetime before Jack's arms folded around her catching her as if she were no heavier than a small child.

She opened her eyes slowly her discomfort already increasing substantially higher than normal for being in Jacks arms. She found herself staring straight into his eyes, and they were closer than she thought, he was staring at her, the intensity of which frightened her. She could feel his breath on her cheek, warm and damp, the beat of his heart through his shirt. She couldn't move, she felt like his eyes had turned her to stone and that she would be forced to stay like this staring at him for eternity. The moment seemed to last forever, Miriam felt her heart beat slow to a dull thud, it was just like before, she could see the mad grin, the frayed ends of a once perfectly waxed moustache, the eyes that bore into her demanding more than she would ever give.

Then her mind truly began to turn on her. She felt Steinman's hands on her body, as he had pressed himself against her before, so she felt now, panic, strong and wild rose like a furious torrent. Her hand moved of its own accord, down her side to where her gun lay, her fingers brushed the hard cold metal of its handle, then they slowly pulled it up and reached for the trigger.

Miriam couldn't stop herself, part of her still saw Jack, that sane part that Steinman hadn't destroyed on the operating table, she wanted to warn him. To scream out for him to let her go before her fingers squeezed the trigger. He didn't see the danger though, for reasons beyond her comprehension he was still staring at her eyes.

"I hate to interrupt this moment you two seem to be having…" Atlas' voice broke through them both like a hammer smashing through glass, Jack quickly dropped Miriam, she luckily managed to land on her feet, and then he almost stood to attention. Miriam still a little stunned dusted herself off, her eyes still focused on Jack's head.

* * *

Jack stood straight, he felt like a school boy caught looking into the female teacher's lounge, he was glad his back was to Miriam, he was blushing quite badly. His heart was still pounding, his blood still roaring round his ears, it shamed him to admit it but he'd never held a woman like that before, hell it was disgraceful but he'd never touched a woman, not really, and he certainly never done anything more…

Atlas was busy ranting over something on the radio but Jack had zoned out, he was thinking about how soft…

"…would you kindly stop acting like a jumped up teenager and listen to me!" Atlas shouted, his voice crackling through the radio speakers.

Jack was listening now, and all of a sudden he couldn't remember what had distracted him, hell it was only a woman after all.

"Right now would you two get your tails a moving through to Port Neptune" Atlas sounded all of a sudden worn out, "and no more funny business you hear?"

Jack nodded.

"Good", then the radio went quiet.

There was another similar long silence, that in reality only lasted seconds, but within it Jack was carrying out Atlas' orders. Then without a word to the woman who was stood behind him, he marched straight towards the entrance to Port Neptune. He only heard Miriam's cry when it was too late. From a grate in the floor a machine arose, it seemed to fix him in its sights. Then it was as if every alarm from the banking district of a metropolitan city went off and from high above them came the maddened mutterings of Splicers. Lots of Splicers.

* * *

_I solemly swear to have the next chapter up by Friday the 27th (UK time) by midnight._

_Oh and sorry for having Jack be a bit of a horny teenager (give the guy a break he's physically only two years old and looks like a mid twenties man but mentally he's probably only 17, now that's a mucked up childhood)_


	4. Chapter 4: Punch Me Punch You

_Right okay lads and lasses, this is the next chapter and by all accounts it's the longest one I've written yet!_

_Trying out a new format to try and keep on top of updates_

_Feedback would be amazing as always _

_And thank you to Super-Nerd-Yay for giving me a much needed wakeup call that I had left the story unfinished, always appreciated _

* * *

She was pinned by three splicers, forced behind a stack of crates, firing only the odd shot when she dared poke her head out. Jack seemed to be having far less worries though. He was stood quite blatantly out in the open, shooting madly with the pistol they'd picked off the splicer earlier. Miriam could have sworn she'd seen him take hits, yet there he stood brazen and still standing.

They'd already killed ten between them, now it was just the stragglers left. Miriam chanced a look out from behind the crates, she glimpsed the scene then pulled back sharply as a bullet went screeching past.

"Jack!" she shouted over the din, for her efforts the man merely offered her a "I'm busy" expression. She immediately ignored him, "hit the water with your plasmid!" she ordered taking another shot at her aggressors narrowly missing a hurled metal trashcan.

Jack glanced over and noticed what she meant, nearly all the splicers were up to their knees in water. A mischievous, slightly scary smile crossed his face and without the slightest bit of effort he let loose a bolt of pure electricity. There was a buzzing sound, the smell of cooking meat wafted over to Miriam, as quickly as they had jumped upon them the splicers were silenced, Jack placed a bullet between the eyes of the only survivor.

Cautiously Miriam peered out from behind the boxes, the alarms were still ringing out in their ears, but it seemed trivial compared to the constant hail of bullets. They stood in a ruined room that before had been merely broken, blood stained the water red, bullet cases were strewn everywhere. Miriam had little time to collect her thoughts or see to Jack's wounds as from his belt their lord and master spoke.

"There's more on the way!" he shouted his words scratched and fuzzy from there crude radio, "You'll have to go through medical, quick!"

Jack was already moving towards the neon highlighted entrance, but Miriam hadn't taken a single step.

"No" she said quietly.

Jack turned and stared at her, through the radio Atlas began trying to talk her down "there's no time lass", he reasoned "them splicers aren't going to follow you through there, Jack'll keep you safe, you just need to get outta there!"

Miriam shook her head, anger boiling in her veins "I won't walk back into there just because you demand it Atlas!" she shouted whirling around looking for a camera, "Do you hear me? I won't be your lackey like your pet here!"

"Jack" Atlas said quietly a chilling sense of calm taking his voice, "hit her would you kindly?"

Miriam turned just in time to see Jack's fist, then it all went black.

* * *

Jack stared down at the crumpled mass for a moment, he hardly believed what he had done, he'd hit her? But the thought was soon pushed aside Atlas was spouting out more orders.

"Pick her up and get moving Boyo!" he demanded, "them beasties will be on your tail soon".

Jack bent down and picked her up, she was warm against his chest, her steady breathing calmed him. He thought logically, he wouldn't be able to carry her like this, cradled as she was against his chest, and fend of the hoards of the city. Ever careful he shifted her body and slung her over his shoulder, this at the very least gave him a free hand.

Pistol primed and ready he walked underneath the blue glow of the buzzing light of the 'Medical' sign and down the grim corridor. He could hear the distant scratching of splicers, he kept his cool listening instead to Miriam's steady heartbeat, counting as he went the rhythm of her body. The lights were diming, flickering, slowly till only the faintest glow was left to illuminate the way, Jack could barely see, taking it on faith that the floor didn't fall away before him into a dark death.

Yet he walked on until a faint blue-ish glow marked a corner before him, the light came from a metal doorway, beyond he could see metal walls and another sliding steal door. From his shoulder Miriam moaned, she was starting to wake. Jack knew if she woke before they crossed the threshold there'd be no convincing her to proceed short of knocking her out cold again, he didn't much like that option.

Moving quickly he headed for the doorway. Just as his fingertips were about to reach it there was a thunderous boom, the door clamped shut. Now plunged into utter darkness, Jack was panicking, he could hear the scratching's of splicers ever closer, he couldn't fight them off alone.

Suddenly there was a light, it came from behind him casting the firmly shut exit in an artificial white light. He paid little attention to the source, instead using it to find the handle to the door, it was similar to the ones he'd seen on the top of the bathy spheres, he just needed to turn it enough and the door would open. Putting all his strength into it he tried to shift the handle.

"It's Ryan" Miriam's voice came from over his shoulder.

Jack nearly jumped out of his skin as not only Miriam's voice came but also a man's. Miriam gracefully slid down from his shoulder, Jack half expected her to punch him in fair penance for his actions, but her attention seemed fixed on the source of the voice and light.

Jack slowly turned only to be confronted by a man looking out at him from one of the largest television sets he'd seen.

"So which one of the bitches sent you?" the man in the screen that Miriam referred to as Ryan asked, venom coating every syllable.

It took Jack a moment to realise that he was actually being talked to directly, this was no recording.

"Was it the KGB Wolf or the CIA Jackal?" the man continued.

Jack felt a hand on his sleeve, he glanced down, Miriam was pointing to a spot just beyond the screen. Jack looked and his stomach sunk as he recognised a withered ghastly hand creeping down the wall, the splicers were closing in.

Miriam grabbed the radio from his belt, "Listen to me you jumped up Irish lunatic! Get this bloody door open or I'll haunt you till the day you die down here!" she said in a deceptively calm voice keeping her pistol trained on the approaching splicers.

"Working on it lass" came a hurried reply, "Just keep the old boy rambling".

Miriam knodded clipping the radio back onto Jack's belt. Jack stared at her in confused awe, it was an astonishing transformation from the nervous wreck he'd seen only minutes before.

Meanwhile Ryan was still going strong, Jack barely took in a word, his attention was focused on the increasing number of silhouettes that were crawling over the screen.

"Farewell or is it dasvidania?", there was a silence, Ryan had finished. In those few moments Jack pressed his back up against the metal and prayed, not to anyone in particular, but he still prayed.

* * *

It was as if a fire work had passed through the minds of each splicer, suddenly they were frenzied, they beat upon the metal mesh that divided them, howling, eyes blazing in a primal fury that Miriam had never seen before. She backed up against the metal, they'd die. Unless Atlas was a moment away from opening the door, this is how her life would end. Steadily she kept the closest splicer within her sites, she'd take a few with her to her watery grave, she wouldn't go down without a fight.

She'd hardly noticed that Jack's arm was pressed up against hers, though in truth her attention was otherwise occupied, she was acting on adrenaline. She'd repay all transgressions later, if there was a later.

The splicers were starting to lift one corner of the mesh, their bony, ragged arms reaching out to the pair, clawing at the air. Miriam was surprised they weren't shooting, surely that would have achieved the death of their targets far quicker, of course maybe that was the point, Ryan wanted them to die slowly, painfully, he wanted his pets to tear them limb from limb with their own twisted hands.

There was a load metallic clack, and suddenly both Miriam and Jack found themselves falling backwards into an eerie green light. Miriam managed to steady herself catching the edge of the doorway, dazed and confused she heard Atlas' voice over the radio, "You'll have to shut it manually!" he shouted sounding out of breath, "Ryan's blocked me access codes!"

Miriam was about to move to Atlas' orders when a blur passed before her and she was pushed back. At first thinking it was a splicer she pulled up her gun, but it was Jack, he was pulling the door closed.

From the commotion coming from beyond the door Miriam guessed that the splicers had made it through the mesh, Jack was still pulling the metal, he only had inches to go.

BANG!

A single shot erupted through the air, Miriam swore she saw Jack flinch, but if it were so it was just for a moment. In one final swell of effort he closed the gap. The sound of the automatic lock kicking in marked the end of their trial and with a great gasp Jack fell to his knees.

Miriam staggered back slightly leaning on the wall for support the adrenaline was leaving her, now her mind turned to the bruise she felt over her left eye. In a swift movement she closed the gap between them and pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of Jack's skull. He didn't move.

"You bastard!" she hissed pressing the gun a little harder against his skull, "your nothing but his puppet aren't you! How dare you…" she couldn't find the words to express her anger, instead she pulled back the safety and let her finger slide over the trigger.

Jack still didn't move, furious, frustrated Miriam pressed down even harder, Jack rocked slightly then fell. She saw red, her anger was gone, the gun fell to her side. There in his chest about six inches below his collar bone a dark growing patch of red seeped through Jack's jumper.

Miriam dropped to her knees, she placed a firm hand over the wound and pressed down, Jack murmured something in protest but she ignored him, his head was resting against the wall but his eyes were fixed on her face, again she tried as best she could to ignore him.

Reaching into the pocket of her trench coat she retrieved a small bundle of old but reasonably clean bandages. Placing them on the floor she then reached into the opposite pocket and brought out her pocket knife. Working systematically, she cut away Jacks jumper and shirt, the bullet had been fired at close range and had gone quite deep into the flesh. Using the end of the knife she pressed it into the wound, Jack gritted his teeth his chest moving beneath her hands, luckily she managed to hold the blade steady.

"Stay still" she ordered, "or it'll be far worse", she saw the muscles of his jaw bulge as he tried not to cry out, a sense of pity took her, and using a touch she reserved for her daughter she gently brushed aside a lock of Jack's golden hair. This seemed to settle him if only a little.

Delaying no longer she dug down with the blade, as carefully as she could she moved the blade down the wound finding the bullet just within the range of the knife, carefully she hooked the tip underneath.

"Brace yourself" she warned Jack, then as quickly as she dared she twisted the blade bringing the bullet up its length till she could prise it from his flesh. Jack gave a muffled cry, but unlike last time he remained still. Miriam quickly unwrapped the bandage, cutting it in half with the knife she wrapped the half back up to make a wad, she pressed that onto the oozing wound then with the rest she began to bind it on.

Jack had remained looking at her the whole time, his blue eyes watching her grim expression as she worked on him. Wiping the excess blood off her hands onto her coat she looked up at him from under her lashes, something had been broken between them, she didn't trust him by a long shot, she didn't even like him, but she needed him to live, same as he needed her to live.

She told him how it was there and then, "If you died from this how am I supposed to kill you later". She secured the final knot and placed her knife back in her pocket.

She was about to stand when Jack caught her hand, he held it firm yet she didn't feel the fear from before, he gently rubbed the skin of her hand with his thumb and spoke softly,

"Thank you".

* * *

_Well there it is up before midnight! Yay _

_I'll try and do the next chapter by this time next week, _

_Hope you enjoy the chapter and approve of continuing roles of our protagonists _

_Let me know if not_


	5. Chapter 5: Healing the Steinman Way

Jack awoke lying on a soft if slightly soiled matress, he had a blanket tucked around him and a pillow. He must have died from his injuries. He opened his eyes especting white clouds and sunshine, instead he was greeted by the ocean, he was laying by a window massive in scale, a perfect view of the sea bed shimmering beyond.

"You're awake", Jack turned his head to see the welcome sight of Miriam walking towards him carrying a battered metal beaker. She was without her trench coat, stood instead in just her flower patterned dress, her hair was slightly loose, curls peaking out seemingly random yet each perfectly structured to define the elegance of her face. In the shimmering blue light Jack thought she looked beautiful.

"Here" she said kneeling beside him, handing over the tin cup, "drink this".

Jack sat up, his chest hurt but he largely ignored it, thanking Miriam he took the cup and drank, it was water plain and pure. It tasted a little metallic but Jack put it down to the fact it had probably come from a rusted pipe.

"How long have I been out?" he asked between mouthfuls.

Miriam shrugged "Less than a day, there are no clocks down here to tell the hours", her eyes shifted to Jack's chest for a moment before flitting back up to his face, "though by all accounts you should have been out permanently".

Jack looked down, he caught sight of the yellowed bandage, he touched it with a few fingers, she taken the bullet out that was it.

"I'll need to have a look at that soon" Miriam knodded towards the wound, Jack gulped down the rest of the water thanking her again before handing it back, she took it to the back of the room in the darkness beyond what he could see.

"What is this place?" he called after her squinting into the gloom.

"It's the old lecturing theatre for the trainee doctors" she replied, "I used to use it as a base of operations when I was just fending for myself, its about as safe as anywhere in medical".

Jack grimaced he remembered how much Miriam had protested about here, how he'd knocked her out just to proceed. Hanging his head slightly he contemplated his navel, "I'm sorry".

"Pardon?" Miriam asked coming back to him from the darkness and kneeling beside himonce more, she'd brought a shirt and jacket it seemed.

"I said I'm sorry" he repeated looking up at her sheepishly.

Miriam wasn't looking at him she was looking beyond to the sea outside, her voice was soft when she spoke but Jack had no doubt that she meant every syllable, "I'm supposed to keep you alive, so I saved your life", her eyes suddenly icy and sharp locked onto his, "but if you ever lift a hand to me again I swear I'll leave you to the splicers".

Jack knodded solemly, "I promise…"

Miriam interrupted "don't make promises you can't keep"

Jack repeated "I promise is will never hurt you again Miriam".

Miriam stared at him long and hard, neither blinking nor seemingly breathing, "I believe you" she said after several long moments of silence, "but this doesn't make us friends Jack," she warned him handing over the shirt, "you have to earn my friendship".

Jack took the shirt, but it seemed Miriam didn't want him to get dressed just yet.

"Hold still" she ordered he obeyed, she moved to untie the bandage, the knot resting just above his shoulder blade.

Miriam's hands were cold, though as they gently grazed his skin he didn't mind. She loosened the knot and began to roll the fabric, down across his chest but then the bandage wrapped around his back. Jack held his breath as she leaned closer, for her part it was just so she could reach the binding, but to Jack… he felt the very tips of her hair dance across his shoulders, the gentle pressure of her leg as it leant against his. It would have been so easy to kiss her…

Jack shook himself "Have you heard anything from Atlas?" he asked trying desperately to distract himself.

Miriam answered him absently seemingly unaware of his emotions, "No there are no security cameras in most of medical", she was almost on the last layer now, "besides due to the radiation used in some of the procedures down here the walls were lined with lead when it was built, so if we do hear from him it won't be very frequently and he can't see us".

Moving carefully she pulled the last layer off, there was surprisingly little blood, she peered at the remaining scab a look of deep confusion danced across her face, "what was that plasmid you took?" she asked feeling the skin around the scab with a gentle touch.

"I'm not sure" Jack answered truthfully, "Just lightning I think"

Miriam shook her head, "there must have been another plasmid mixed in" she concluded, "you wouldn't have healed so fast otherwise, you may not even have survived".

Jack shrugged, genuinely unsure. Miriam lifted her hand to her forehead and massaged what Jack assumed to be the beginnings of a headache.

"You alright?" he asked

Miriam didn't seem to hear him "hmmm?" she mumbled

"You look like your brains beating against your skull" Jack offered a small smile.

Miriam looked at him from underneath the graceful curl of her fingers, there was a look of near amusement on her face, a tiny hint of a curve pulled the corners of her mouth. Jack felt his heart flutter for a moment before she scrubbed the tiredness away from her face and replied. "I just wish I could figure out why you're so important" she sighed, "Atlas needs you, you survive an almost point blank bullet to the chest, a 20ft drop both without major injury…" she let her hand drift down to her lap where it rested in a slight crescent, "I just wish I could speak to…".

"_Testing Radio frequency 105.7"_ an unfamiliar voice said, Jack glanced down to where his radio lay on the floor about a metre away from either of them, _"Miriam are you there?"_.

Jack looked to Miriam, she'd turned as white as a sheet of paper, she was staring at the radio.

"_I repeated I am looking for Miriam Langford"_ the voice said, it was a woman she had a slightly foreign accent, European? Jack looked between the radio and Miriam, the woman must be talking about her, how many other Miriams could there possibly be wandering down here?

In the hazing blue light he reached for the radio, Miriam's hand moved so quickly he barely saw it until it had seized his wrist, her fingers wrapped around his skin so tightly he could have sworn his circulation was cut off. He was about to open his mouth to ask her why she was ignoring the radio but her other hand stopped the words from escaping. She looked at him her dark eyes pleading, sorrow and anguish swirling beneath the usual pale smoky green. The agony on her face made him close his mouth, she pressed her hand against his lips gently, he wouldn't speak but she seemed desperate to make sure he didn't. She turned her had to stare at the radio, the pain she felt appeared to double in weight with each passing second.

A minute or so passed the radio still buzzed with life but Miriam did not speak nor release her hold on Jack, eventually there came a soft whispery sigh and the line was cut. Slowly Miriam withdrew her hands, she gazed down at her knees and drew in a shuddering breath. Jack sat there staring for a long while, then he realised she was crying.

He was confused, what should he do? He said nothing, he wasn't sure whether he should give her a comforting arm or lend her his shoulder to shed the tears he had no hope in present circumstances of understanding. They seemed chivalrous things to do. And yet as she cried her unknown sadness out Jack could not bring himself to touch her, he wanted to, to offer her comfort, but he could not get himself to move.

The opportunity disappeared. Miriam wiped her eyes with the edge of the jacket that still lay on her lap, then she turned away getting up and walking off into the darkness.

"Get dressed" she ordered from the shadows her voice cracked and forced, "we'll need to move soon".

Atlas swung down the passage way, well trodden as it was, he had to get to medical as quickly as possible. With no cameras he couldn't keep an eye on them and what was even worse, somewhere in Medical the Kraut was out wandering, probably looking for _her_.

He needed to get there and distract one or both parties from finding the other, Tenenbaum could ruin everything, she wasn't so easily manipulated as the others, she knew something…

He had to stop them from meeting, he hadn't figured out how to yet but it was a detail he could figure out once he got there, first he had to sneak past Steinman.

Jack pulled on the shirt and jacket, he hung the pistol from his belt, stuffed a few handfuls of bullets into his pockets, and tested the wrench against a broken piece of wod. He was ready for whatever Rapture decided to throw at him, he would take it all on.

He glanced to his right, she donned her coat and was loading her gun. Miriam had been quiet since that voice had come through the radio, only speaking a few words to him. The under lids of her eyes were still red from where she'd been crying. Jack couldn't fathom it, he simply didn't know enough of the facts, and he daren't ask.

"You ready?" Miriam asked not looking at him.

"Yes" he replied.

Together they entered the dark halls of Medical…

Old ghosts waited for Miriam around every corner of every hallway, lingering there in the dust and decay, she couldn't shake the feeling they were being watched, from somewhere deep within the shadows of the rusted corridors. And her bones told her it was _him_ who watched them.

Miriam tried to bury her edginess, it was worrying Jack, not that that mattered really. The man seemed to watch her closely more than was necessary, it alone unnerved her. Despite that however she did have something to thank him for, her bitterness for both Jack and Atlas was now at such a level she had little emotion left for the all-consuming fear that had controlled her actions over the last two days.

The number hit her like a brick wall. Jack was busy rummaging through corpses looking for bullets, she leant against the peeling painted walls. Two days? Bridget must have thought her dead, she must have concluded that she'd been killed by Steinman or Atlas or a random splicer. Nothing had torn her as much as ignoring that radio message, salvation was there at her finger tips, so close, her daughter practically within reach. Then Atlas' voice came crashing down upon her hope 'unless you want to return to a pile of corpses'.

Miriam clenched her fists her knuckles white, nails digging into palms till the flesh stung. 'Damn them all' she thought bitterly 'Damn them all to hell'.

Jack seemed to have retrieved what he needed from the bodies, "here" he stood handing her a fistful of bullets, he was learning fast what he needed for his gun. She took them with an emotionless nod, bitterness prevented her from feeling gratitude. Jack loaded the shotgun they'd found with a pair of shots, he seemed quite proficient in its use despite his lax sense of the term 'shoot from cover'. The rate in which he'd recovered from his wounds astounded her Miriam, no one should heal that fast, there was something strange about Jack, something wrong.

"Where should we head now?" Jack asked, his demeanour toned down, Medical had shocked him.

Miriam cast around them, she knew these halls from before, though she couldn't place why. There was a dentists sign still flashing above a battered doorway, they may find some bandages or first aid kits, whatever happened they would need those.

"Let's search there" she suggested pointing her pistol in the direction of the dentists, as they approached a chill ran down her spine, she turned but only found the dead in the flickering light of the medical plaza, she turned back following Jack, only now she felt nervous.

She knew these walls, had she and Alice walked here? She could definitely remember Alice here, she could see her little carefree smile teeth glistening in the light of the ocean, but there was someone else with them…

They entered the waiting room, a half destroyed gun turret was sprawled across the floor, Jack kicked the metal carcass over, but there was nothing to salvage. They moved on to the operating room, Miriam led the way, her skin was prickling, she felt eyes upon her, slowly, carefully she entered the room of the broken tiles.

A great fog enveloped them, a pipe must have broken, Miriam remained still, she dare not move forward. Her fears seemed well grounded as from out of the steam came footsteps, Miriam lifted her gun her pulse roaring through her veins, there was a slumbering sound then the footsteps echoed back into silence. Slowly the foggy shroud lifted. Miriam surveyed the room, at first everything seemed normal, everything was as it had been, then her eyes caught two shapeless, blackened, dead eyes staring back. A body, a woman lay on the dentists chair, carefully placed so their eyes would meet, despite herself Miriam jumped backwards falling into Jack.

He let out a surprised _hmph!_ His arms moving clumsily to catch her, his hands were warm, his touch sure as he fumbled gently gripping her arms. Miriam stood quickly, there was someone here and they were toying with them, but Jack didn't seem to feel the urgency, Miriam felt him lightly touch her arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked with what sounded like genuine concern in his voice.

Miriam shook him off raising a finger to her lips, she needed to listen. Jack was silent, but only the steady drip of pipes and hissing steam greeted her sharpened ears. A glint of something colourful caught her attention, it lay on the desk in the corner faintly glowing yellow. Half mesmerised she walked towards it, it was a plasmid, though she couldn't tell what brand. Laying down her gun on the wood she picked up the vial, it seemed to hum in her hand the glass slightly warm to the touch. So much death over such a pretty little thing…

THUMP!

Something dropped behind her, Jack had probably knocked something over, it was fine, she felt a breath on the back of her neck, Jack was standing very close to her, perhaps her was interested in the plasmid, still…

She placed the vial down on the table, Jack touched her shoulder, it was not the light touch he had used moments ago, it was firm, forceful. Miriam could feel each finger on her flesh through her clothes.

"Jack?" she said slowly, he'd probably let go in a moment not realising that he was crossing a boundary, but he didn't. In fact he leant in closer Miriam could feel her chest pressed up against her back, her hand caught her wrist and held it away from the gun. She tried to pull away but his grip was like iron. Panic now started to rise inside her, what was wrong with him.

She felt him press his cheek up against hers, something tickled her skin, his moustache?

A chill crackled down her spine, Jack didn't have any facial hair. Words purred against her neck each syllable driving dread into her heart "I've found you again goddess".


	6. Chapter 6: End of Innocence

Jack awoke with a splitting headache.

What the hell happened?

Where was he?

His stomach on the roll, his brain dancing in his skull, he rolled onto his front and slowly got to his feet. His head was fuzzy, like an etch-r-sketch that some damn child had just shaken the living daylights out of. His footing slipped though, as he tried to place weight on his left boot. Grumbling in his frustration, Jack turned to check what had made the floor so slick.

The fact it was blood, didn't faze him. The fact it was fresh, didn't either. He _was _in Rapture after all, gore was to be expected, fresh or otherwise. Something nagged at him though, almost as if this puddle was something different. For some reason his chest tingled, just below the collar bone, on his left side. He lifted his hand to it…

_"How long have I been out?"_

"_Less than a day, there are no clocks down here to tell the hours"_

Jack glanced around for the source of the voices, but he was alone.

"_I'm sorry"_

He scrambled to his feet, seizing up his shotgun, wasn't that his own voice?

"_I believe you, but this doesn't make us friends Jack"_

Jack held his head in his hands as it throbbed, letting the gun slide to the floor, screwing his eyes shut.

"_Jack?"_

"_I've found you again goddess"_

He balled his fists up and beat his head, what was he forgetting. He remembered a struggle, the smell of stale medical fluid and blood, the sharp pain as something cracked against his skull. The he was on the floor, looking up at something, reaching for his gun only to black out at the last moment…

"_Jack?!" she shouted, "Get up! Please, help me"_

_He tried, he tried so hard but his limbs were dead on his torso, numb, heavy and useless._

Her scream pierced his ears, ripping through his brain, forcing from his lips his own cry as he screamed her name, not caring if all of Rapture heard him. Tears streamed down his face, he promised, damn it! He didn't know why he wanted to tear something apart, he didn't know why he felt this burning rage in his chest, why he didn't care that his head was still throbbing. And it didn't matter.

Without another thought he got to his feet, retrieved his gun, and walked straight out into the dark corridors of medical. Heaven help anyone, who got in his way.

* * *

Nothing smelt like Arcadia after the watering cycle had just finished. The air was thick with the dense earthy smell of damp soil, all the flowers seemed fresh and new after their drink, even the metal pipes that crisscrossed the gardens added their own delightful tang to the air.

She breathed it in deeply.

She lay on the upper bank of the top level gardens, her arms folded underneath her head, her bare toes curling into the thick matt of the wet grass, shoes long since discarded. She'd been up there the moment the water had stopped, knowing that as soon as the public were allowed back in, her day would be overtaken by work once more. Then again maybe she'd be lucky, after all not many people came to Arcadia this late, well not to this part anyway. The tea gardens were more what they were looking for.

A sigh roused her from her gentle doze and she reluctantly opened her eyes. Lilly was sat beside her, propped up on her elbows, a far off look in her eyes, the long stem and beautifully bountiful bloom of one of Julie's prized 'Rosa Gallicas' lazily laced through her curled fingers. Lilly hadn't noticed she was awake, she was humming something, softly, under her breath in a pleasant warm manner.

"_If I didn't care, more than words can say.__  
__If I didn't care, would I feel this way?__  
__If this isn't love, then why do I thrill?__  
__And what makes my head go 'round and 'round__  
__While my heart stands still?"_

Miriam smiled, "If I didn't care, would it feel the same?" she sang softly making Lilly jump.

The young woman turned sharply to fix her with an accusing glare, before her frown slowly melted into a smirk and she continued "Would my every prayer, begin and end with just your name?"

The two women laughed then sang through the rest of the verse,

"And would I be sure that this is love beyond compare?

Would all this be true if I didn't care for you?"

They both giggled as their voices bounced back to them off the pipes, the echo making the voices wailing and low.

"Don't think we'll be performing at Fort Frolic any time soon" Lilly pouted crossing her arms in an animated huff, before she realised she was crushing the rose.

"Not a chance" Miriam agreed shaking her head, "Why _do _you have one of the Rosa Gallica? Julie would string you up if she found out".

Lilly smiled sheepishly, "there far to pretty not to be appreciated properly" she explained, "besides.." she said taking in a deep lasting breath of the rose's sweet scent, "I absolutely adore roses".

Miriam sighed closing her eyes again and resting herself back into the grass, "yes, we all know that" she commented under her breath.

When she opened her eyes again Lilly's bright green ones were quietly considering her.

"What is it?" Miriam asked sitting up, resigned to the fact she was not going to spend her break napping.

Lilly had a slight frown on her face, the rose now hanging limp in her grip, "I hear your going on a date tonight" she said evenly, "and the lucky man is Damien".

Miriam blushed slightly deeply, concerned with how her personal affairs seemed to be the staple gossip around here. "I do" she said shortly, "I broke it off with Joseph a fortnight ago".

Lilly was now staring at her hard, leaning in to add un-needed gravitas, "Have you heard any more from him?".

Miriam shook her head, "No. And judging from the reports coming out of medical that's no bad thing".

Lilly lent back nodding, much to herself rather than her companion, "you're not wrong" she agreed quietly, once again burying her nose in the rose. She stopped for a moment, quite still, then as if somewhere a switch had been flipped, something changed.

* * *

Miriam was struggling, she writhed and kicked out, biting, spitting. But it did not good, she was trapped, she couldn't make him stop, she couldn't get away. He was too strong.

He was atop of her, in charge now, acting out how he thought it should have happened before, uninterrupted by 'saviours' or 'allies' this time. He relished in how powerless she was, how he could do exactly what he wished.

Miriam never stopped fighting, through all the drugs, all the times he took hold of her neck, or beat her. She kept fighting. Not that it helped. It was going to happen regardless of what she wanted. Steinman saw to that.

Blood, sweat, tears, bitterness rose in her mixing with the terror. Poisonous in her veins, burning into her soul a stain that could not be cleaned.

She eventually passed out.

* * *

Miriam awoke feeling cold and sticky, it took her a moment to feel settled enough to open her eyes, her stomach was churning like mad. Tiles confirmed her to be in medical, well, she could be in a toilet but the slight green tinge to the ceramic was more medical's decor. She stretched out her muscles, she was sore, she was sore in places that she wasn't normally sore…

Somewhere in the distance she heard a voice, "never perfect, always wrong, never beautiful!" it ranted.

Miriam slowly turned her head to see the figure. Her eyes latched onto the dirty, stained, red lab coat, and her heart plummeted right through the bottom of her rib cage.

An image flashed back to her. A hand, lain out across the tiled floor. She had an unsettling feeling in her gut, her soreness intensified, and a dull ache grew low down inside. Still she lay very still. She was all too aware how easily Steinman could turn and see her, how little it would take to alert his twitching senses.

She glanced about her, cautious only to move her eyes and not her head. She seemed to be laying on a mattress, sticky and vile, it was pushed into the far corner of a large surgery theatre. In the centre of which Steinman was stood on a raised platform, a massive glass window before him. The space beyond was dark, not the ocean but a viewing area perhaps? For operations.

On a fixed trolley bed before Steinman was a splicer.

It was difficult to see from her distance what Steinman was doing, but the once woman on the bed seemed very much alive, if not entirely lucid.

Whatever it was Steinman was doing, he seemed engrossed, muttering and ranting to the heavens. Miriam slowly sat up, ready to fall to the mattress should Steinman stop his ranting. She found her muscles weak, her arms shook as she used them to lift herself. She might have been drugged, she thought propping herself against the smeared wall, strangely out of breath. That must be it. The thought made her shudder, what concoction had Steinman injected into her?

She tried to remember… There was Jack, he'd just caught her after she'd fallen backwards, she'd shaken him off. Then there was a Plasmid, then…

Sharp pain replaced the ache, she realised it was coming from her lower abdomen. She looked down at herself.

She stifled a scream.

There was blood streaked down her legs, bruises of various size and colour marking her exposed thighs where her dress had been torn. Slowly her mind began to piece together what had been done.

_The hand she'd seen stretched across the tiles, it was hers, her head lolled to one side. There'd been pain, a pressure above her keeping her down, a hand enclosed around her lower neck, the other seizing her other hand. _

Miriam reached up to her neck, she peeled the sweat drenched material of her dress away, she was the distinct finger shaped bruises that marked her skin.

She felt dizzy, she wanted to be sick, but lacked the physical power to do so. She tried to move her legs, but found them weaker than before, the muscle now quivering. It was as if she were looking in on her own mind. She guessed that the reason she couldn't move was whatever Steinman had injected her with. That mixed with shock and a fair amount of new mental scarring.

In the meantime her actual self was panicking, pushing aside thoughts that would dwell on what had been done, she needed to look for a weapon. Something to hold in her shaking hands, to funnel all her rage and anger into, something to swing if Steinman tried to come to her again.

But there was nothing within reach.

Steinman was oblivious to Miriam's break down, he was far more interested in slicing the splicer, shouting out his prayers to his goddess. He hadn't noticed the eyes watching him from beyond the glass.

Miriam suddenly knew someone was watching her, she immediately looked to Steinman, who was mercifully occupied. Then her eyes caught sight of something beyond the black glass. She squinted, trying to see beyond the reflection.

"What's this goddess?" Steinman looked up from his 'work', and stared at exactly the same spot Miriam was.

There was a heart beats silence before the situation erupted.

"He's ugly" Steinman exclaimed reaching below the table, picking up an all too familiar weapon, "ugly, Ugly, UGLY!"

The mad surgeon shrieked at the top of his voice and fired a spray of bullets into the glass. It cracked, fell and shattered, skidding across the tiles in tiny shards.

At last, with the glass out of the way, Miriam could see what had caught both her and Steinman's attention. Tiny glittering pieces of glass had gathered in a crop of blond hair, attached to which stood a man with a poised gun.

Miriam couldn't stop herself, even as the name left her lips she knew it was an idiotic mistake.

"Jack!"

The young man looked at her, a great wave of relief passed over his features, he almost managed a smile.

But before she could blink away her relief, Steinman was upon her.

* * *

It all seemed to happen so fast. Jack hadn't even seen Miriam before she'd called his name, then just as he'd let his relief take him, Steinman had whipped round, madness and fury in his eyes and charged at Miriam.

Jack leapt to the floor below, he didn't care that it was littered with shards of glass. That monster was upon her! He landed with a sickening crack.

Biting down the pain, he got to his feet and ran at that bloodied doctor's coat. Her screams of terror and pain driving him on.

Within moments Jack was behind him, he raised his trusted shotgun above his head and brought it down on the back of Steinman's crown. As the metal and wood connected with the target, the bone shattered. Steinman fell to the floor, his body still.

Jack let out a held breathe, dropping the gun, and bracing his hands upon his knees. He looked up, Miriam was cowering against the wall, her hands brought up in front of her face, violent sobs wracking her body.

He knelt down, "Miriam?" he asked gently.

She didn't seem to hear him.

"Miriam?" he said a little louder, reaching forward to touch her arm.

She lashed out, beating at him with her arms, her eyes still tightly shut. Jack seized her shoulder's, avoiding the worst of her wild blows.

"MIRIAM!" he shouted, "It's alright, it's Jack" he tried to assure her, almost getting a black eye for his troubles.

Then she froze, her arms stopped in mid-air. In a tiny voice, frail enough that Jack thought it might break Miriam spoke, "Jack?" she slowly opened her eyes.

His heart twisted when he saw the tears there, how frightened she looked. Then without another word she fell into his arms crying into his jumper. Jack saw the blood, her blood, the bruises. He gathered her up and lifted her from the mattress, carrying her past Steinman's twitching corpse, up the stairs and out into the still dark corridor where Atlas was waiting for them.

"Is it done?" Atlas asked glancing at Miriam briefly, his main focus however on the doors.

Jack shook his head, "the bodies still twitching" he answered.

The Irishmen nodded, cocked his pistol and disappeared through the doors, followed a little while later by a single shot.

Jack leant against the wall, Miriam had stopped crying, now just clinging there in silence.

"I'm sorry" Jack murmured to her, studying a spot of peeling paint on the wall opposite, "I should have got there sooner".

Miriam didn't answer him, Jack silently cursed himself, his own stupidity had caused this. Then Miriam shifted in his arms, she reached up to his face, her hand cupped his stubbly cheek, and she kissed his other cheek.

"Thank you" she whispered.

* * *

_Well where to begin…_

_A thousand apologies for not updating. _

_I could state many excuses, but **meh** basically._

_Hope you like the chapter, I know it's a little more dark than the last few, I hope I've kept it within the age rating. _

_First barrier in Miriam and Jack's relationship down, though I have to admit I wish it could have been done without Steinman's 'help'. _

_Happy Reading!_


	7. Chapter 7: Healing the right way

Jack drummed his fingers on the grubby metal table, waiting for Atlas to return with a reconnaissance report. Jack sighed, he'd been gone for what felt like hours now. A rustle from behind the loose partition of hospital screen they'd set up reminded Jack that Miriam was still changing.

They'd found some clothes in a run down little shop, a little selection of surprisingly fitting outfits, it was almost as if they were starting to become lucky… Miriam had been almost silent since they'd found this place. She'd clung to Jack like a small child, her arms clutching furiously around him, her face buried in his shoulder. He wanted to be able to comfort her, but he didn't know how.

How were you supposed to pick up the pieces from something like that? What sage words of wisdom would mean anything to a woman who had been so viciously… He couldn't bring himself to say it. Not even in his own mind.

She'd clung on the tightest when Atlas was near, she didn't speak to him, she avoided eye contact, not even looking at him even when he spoke to her. Jack had been tempted to explain the substantial role that Atlas had played in her rescue, but decided, with more wisdom than he could have ever known, to keep his mouth shut.

Jack looked around the room where he now sat, Atlas had found this place on his way to meeting up with him apparently. It was cleaner than most of Medical, no grisly blood scrawled messages left on the walls, no splicers lying or wait, or abandoned corpses. The shop had only one entrance, both a blessing and a curse. They could only be attacked from one angle, but they could only escape from one as well. Jack and Atlas had taken steps to at least partially amending this, they had dragged a large piece of rusted aluminium over the entrance. Acting as both camouflage for the entrance and a handily noisy early alarm system.

The scrapping of metal and cloth signalled that Miriam had finished changing. Jack sat up a little straighter, that bit more alert. He'd found her a basin and some clean water to wash her cuts and bruises in, while she was changing he'd also found some bandages and pain killers in a cabinet, he'd passed her some of the bandages as she'd needed them, averting his eyes always.

He now looked over to the edge of the partition waiting for her to step out, he hoped the clothes would fit her properly, it was difficult to judge these things from eye alone. There was a shuffle and a tiny rustle of clothing, then she stepped out.

The water had got rid of the blood but what lay underneath made Jack grip the side of the table so hard his knuckles were white. He stood abruptly glancing round for his gun, or wrench, or anything with a half an edge to it. He found the former tucked under the bloodied remains of Miriam's coat. Seizing it up with both hands he marched towards the door.

Her hand lay gently on his neck when he reached the door, it was cool, calming perhaps if he wasn't so filled with the pounding blood lust that rang through his skull.

"Jack?" her voice was dry and slightly scratchy, either from all the screaming or the lack of use it had seen recently. "Where are you going?" she asked softly.

Jack gritted his teeth, he tried to pounding drive to kill in his head as he answered, "To bash that bastards head in and do a thorough job this time" he growled through his teeth.

Miriam hand slid to his shoulder, she squeezed it gently, "Jack he's already dead…"

"I DON'T CARE!" Jack shouted turning to her in a violent whirl, knocking away her hand, "LOOK WHAT HE'S DONE TO YOU!"

Miriam did not cower or back away from his fury. She just stood there her face set in a tender look of sadness, it almost broke Jack's heart to look at her.

"Steinman is dead Jack" she said quietly, "I am no doctor but no one lives through what you have already done to him".

Jack still wanted to go and find the corpse, to beat it with the butt of his gun till the tiles were stained red with all the blood and gore that monster still held in his body. He let his eyes sink to the floor between them, the hate inside him was red hot, spitting out anger towards Miriam, he didn't want that. That was the last thing he would ever want.

"Jack nothing will change what's been done" she whispered.

Jack saw her move closer to him, her hand coming down to gently rest in the centre of his chest. He felt his heart beat faster under her finger tips as they stretched out slowly over the thin fabric of his chest. He let out a shuddering sigh, tension flowing from him like water, falling from his shoulders leaving him empty as he dropped the gun he had held so tightly to the floor.

He lay a shaking hand over hers and looked up to her face, her own eyes were focused on their hands. He saw her scars, both the old, and the shockingly new, red and puffy. Her face was so broken, his thoughts turned to the rest of her body. How many scars lay there, how many places had he cut her…

Feeling his anger bubble up again he clutched her hand tightly, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm so sorry" he whispered.

She was silent, he dare not open his eyes.

"I should have stopped him!" he said bitterly, "I could have done if I'd just turned around and seen him. I should have found you sooner, I should have shot him when I had the chance, I should have…"

"Jack" came her voice just as soft as it had been before, but he couldn't hear her.

"I'm such an idiot!" he felt regrets pile on top of him, weighing him down so heavily, "I could have saved you… Why am I so useless? Atlas could have done it… Why didn't I look? I'm sorry… I'm so sorry Miriam… I.."

Jack sunk to his knees, he let go of Miriam's hand as he sank and it slipped away from his chest. He knelt there tears gathering in his eyes, still firmly shut. He lent over onto his hands his head bowed. "I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…"

There was a soft rustle of clothing, he felt a gentle breeze on the crown of his he as it tussled his hair, then he felt her hands upon him. His eyes snapped open, she was knelt before him, her hands on his shoulders. Gently she pushed him up slightly, then she slid her arms around him and pressed herself into his chest.

"You can't change what was done" she said quietly, her lips at his ear, "You can only move forward, don't spend your life on what ifs and maybes". Jack's tears still ran down his cheeks, he rested his head against the side of hers. "It's not your fault Jack" her voice was firm, "it was never your fault".

That was when he noticed _her _tears, steadily streaming down her own cheeks. He straightened slightly and reached his own arms around her. Their they stayed, both drawing comfort from the other, both shedding tears for what had been taken, the regrets of the past. It wasn't until the scraping of the aluminium cover alerted them to the return of Atlas, that they reluctantly parted. Jack got to his feet first, he offered a hand to Miriam. She took it without hesitation and he drew her to her feet.

They moved away from the door as the handle turned and the tuft of blond hair emerged round the doorway. Jack stood slightly behind Miriam, he didn't let go of her hand though, he held it firmly, his grip returned by her just as strong.

Atlas entered, his face the image of cheerful optimism. "Whatcha kids" he said cheerfully, his smile wide, a row of pearly white teeth peeking out between his lips.

Neither of the _kids_ spoke to him, they remained stoic staring at him silently.

He paused for a moment looking from Jack to Miriam, Jack could have sworn he saw a flicker of something ugly cross the Irishman's face as he looked at her.

"Well this is frosty" he chirped laughing awkwardly, when neither one joined his laughter he stopped and frowned, "You alright you two?" he asked concern clear in his voice.

"We're fine" Miriam said quietly, Jack didn't fail to notice the sudden edge her voice took on as she spoke, the same spike of underlying contempt that she'd always spoken to him with, until now…

Atlas looked surprised, but he recovered quickly, "glad to hear it!" he smiled, "found some more meds for you lass, hopefully they'll help with any aches and pains".

Jack suddenly remembered the batch he'd found, "Oh yeah I found some as well".

Atlas handed over a small white fabric bag to them, Miriam took it cautiously with her free hand, she nodded curtly. She glanced back at Jack and smiled slightly walking over to a low couch that stood across the other side of the small room. She let her hand slip from Jack's and sat down, her right leg tucked up underneath her, as she started to look through the contents of the bag. Atlas shrugged and took a seat on the chair had previously abandoned, taking out a cigarette and lighter from his shirt pocket.

Jack stood there for a moment unsure who to go to. He looked to Atlas who was puffing the first few dregs of the fresh smoke, then to Miriam who was carefully reading through the labels on the back of the various bottles and jars of medicine. He unconsciously reached into his pocket and felt his own little jar of pills, in that moment he decided. He walked over to Miriam and sat down opposite her at the other end of the couch, drawing out the little jar and presenting it to her.

She took it in her long, scarred, yet still graceful fingers and examined it carefully. Her face lit up as she read the back, she look up at him and smiled. "Thank you" she said simply opening the jar and selecting two of the small red and white pills. She placed them on her tongue and swallowed.

"What are you looking for exactly?" Jack asked as she went back to examining the bottles and jars.

She looked up at him and smiled again, telling him which words to look for.

* * *

Atlas looked over to them between puffs. He flicked away the traces of ashes to one side and settled back.

This would make things complicated, he thought to himself frowning deeply at the pair. He drew another dreg from his cigarette. Very complicated.

It was a play of power, if she managed to wrangle more power from him he'd be forced to use the other words to control the kid. He'd have to keep Jack's trust, keep him from suspecting. With the threat of Miriam's _daughter's_ death hung over her head she wouldn't step too far out of line.

Atlas tapped the metal table absently, he'd have to keep a closer eye on them from now on, no more losing his video or audio links to them. He couldn't afford anymore slip ups or kidnappings. No more mistakes that would draw them closer together and push him further away. He needed to remain the third wheel in this. When it came time he could get rid of the woman, he'd only need her up until Jack got to Ryan, after that he could kill her, or keep her… he hadn't decided yet.

He'd have to try and keep them together, if he went and separated them Jack would start to suspect something.

He drew a long breath from the smoke, closing his eyes. 'Just keep moving the pieces into place' he said to himself silently, 'next come the fisheries, then Arcadia, then Fort Frolic, then…'. He blew out, letting the smoke coil and twist in the air, 'then came Ryan'.

_Okay i know i can only apologize so much for not uploading this. I have a few good excuses though. _

_I'm in my last year of Uni so naturally work comes first (then minecraft *cough cough*, other square based games are available), so i've neglected to put anything up for ages. _

_I have the next chapter almost finished (i always write stuff out before i type), so hopefully that will be up within the fortnight. _

_Anyway enjoy! _

_Oh and please review! I love reading what you guys have to say!_


	8. Chapter 8: Splitting the Trouble

Miriam's breath hitched as she felt the cool barrel of the gun jab into her stomach, the hand over her mouth that stank of cheap whiskey and tobacco. She'd wretch if she thought she'd live through the movement.

She glanced across the room before them, her heart thundering beneath her ribs. The bright spotlights shone down on him, his wide shoulders square against his own 'gun wielding problem'. She looked up to the overhead balcony feeling her heart jerk and wretch at its own restraints. So close.

She was so close.

But she couldn't see her.

Atlas' voice was at her ear. "Remember lass," he said in a husky whisper, "you're expendable in this".

Miriam swallowed dryly, her eyes never leaving the two figures before her. She nodded and the hand at her mouth was withdrawn, the gun however remained exactly where it was.

"What happens to the little girl when I use this 'plasmid' thing?" Jack's voice echoed through the debris, a tether between himself and Miriam more secure from the sound alone.

Miriam saw Atlas twitch slightly. For an instance she caught a flicker of emotion cross his face, but it was gone before she could register it.

"I will look after her" Tennenbaum replied from her lofty perch, every bit the self-superior, proud woman Miriam had long since known her to be.

And her heart ached for her company.

"But she won't be harmed?" Jack asked, "She'll be safe with you?"

A swell of pride rolled over Miriam, warm and comforting it wrapped itself around her, embracing the hope she had secretly kindled since meeting Jack.

His questions seemed to momentarily throw both Atlas and Tenenbaum. Miriam risked a glance at her captor's face and found the man pale, his light eyebrows knitted together in a dangerous frown.

Brigette on the other hand was silent for several seconds, "yes she answered Jack solemnly, "I pledge my life to them".

That seemed to satisfy him, Miriam watched with glowing pride as Jack walked slowly over to a fallen suitcase, picked the quaking Little Sister gently up and used the plasmid, warm glowing light flowing into her veins.

When she looked up to the walkway again Tenenbaum was nowhere to be seen, though Miriam knew she wouldn't be far away. Atlas swiftly removed the gun from Miriam's waist, walking out of the shadows to meet Jack head on, a smile already fixed to his lips. Jack ignored Atlas and walked straight past him. He stood before Miriam and began to inspect her bandages, fussing over each one like an old mother hen.

Atlas stood stock still seemingly even more bewildered than before, and worryingly with it, all the more angry.

"How does your cheek feel?" Jack peered at her lifting his fingers to touch the edged of the wound gently, "Does it still hurt?"

"It's fine" she answered him, her own fingers brushing the back of his hand lightly. She took a moment to forget that Atlas was there and drew a breath closer to the young man. She smiled when she realised she wasn't afraid any more, not of Jack. "Thank you" she reached up and whispered into his ear, lingering there for slightly longer than was necessary.

She felt Jack's shudder through the slither of air that separated them, "for what?" he mumbled.

Miriam smiled softly, taking in a small breath, noticing for the first time how the smell of oil and stale water seemed to cling to his skin. She tilted her head to kiss his cheek, "for doing what was right. Not what was ordered" she breathed, cautious that only Jack should hear her.

She could see Atlas over Jack's shoulder, his eyes flashing in the shadows. She knew he was keeping a tally, and that soon she would have to settle her account. Miriam stepped back a little, but remained closer to Jack than to Atlas.

Jack was staring openly at her, his cheeks a little redder than before, but wore a grin that would put the most troublesome of schoolboys to shame. Miriam returned it with a shy one, knowing that she had begun to set certain wheels in motion, and for the first time in her life not being afraid of what was to come.

"I think it would be best if we split up" Atlas said flatly, "Miriam and I will take the vents. Jack, you head on through Port Neptune."

"What?"

They'd both said it at the same time, both struck momentarily dumb by Atlas' words.

"Look." Atlas sighed, "Ryan's going to be on our tails from now on, and we need to move quickly." He turned to Jack," Me and the lass know the city, we can move more quick through them ratways, but we need you to open the Bathy Sphere bay doors. If we all go through the same way we'll be sitting ducks."

Jack was already shaking his head long before Atlas had finished speaking. "Then _Miriam_ and _I _can go through Port Neptune and _you_ can go through the vents."

"_Look Boyo_" Atlas began, his voice edged with unconcealed hostility.

"I'll go with Atlas".

The two men, practically squaring off to one another now paused and looked at her. Miriam was looking away, up towards the banister to something Jack couldn't see, though he was certain the German doctor had left already.

"Good lass" Atlas grinned triumphant.

Anger boiled inside of Jack, he clenched his fist. The side of Atlas' face so open to his punch if he threw it now, and he could leave the sorry sod here and go his own way to escape with…

He hadn't noticed her movement till he felt the cool fingers slide and slip gently into his own, entwining and pressing his hand open once again. He looked sidelong at her, her glowing, yet bruised face turned down to their meeting limbs, eyes half hidden under thick black lashes.

It was silly to feel the sudden stab of pain that tore at his heart from this separation. How long had it been now, a day, two? With time so elusive down here it was impossible to be sure. He'd known her for so little time, yet in a fleeting way, a half remembered dream, he felt, that she, might very well be the first person he'd truly ever known in his life.

Jack could feel her silent plea, to calm his anger, to carry on with what was Atlas' plan. She seemed to think the worst would happen if he refused, something would harm them if he strayed, and how he so wanted to stray with her beside him.

He gave a long defeated sigh.

"Fine"

He could hear Atlas' almost goading glee now more than ever, but with Miriam touching him he could feel his burning centre cool, and he could treat their planner's manner with cool indifference.

"Grand!" Atlas chirped, "Now we best move quick, say your goodbyes you two and we'll be off".

Panic rose in Jack swiftly. Goodbye?

"Here"

Jack looked down and realised with no small amount of wonder, that Miriam held out her gun to Atlas, the butt of the weapon ready to be held smoothly in his hand.

Atlas took the gun, confusion also predominant in his eyes.

"Take this and wait for me by the duct near the Operating Theatre back there" she ordered, "think of it as your insurance" she added darkly.

Atlas blinked several times, he seemed to take a moment to register what was happening, that he was the recipient of demands for once and not them. He looked as if he would refuse, but just as his mouth curled into an ugly sneer, he caught himself and turned the expression into a smile. An awkward, clearly forced smile that sent a trickle of unease down Jack's back.

Without a word he turned and left.

They stood watching him, until he disappeared round the far corner of the corridor, and even then they remained still listening for many moments till his footsteps now longer echoed to them off the crumbling concrete.

A breath separated the moment. A sudden, sharp gasp. Between the instance the footfalls stopped and the swift tug Jack felt start at his hand. With a speed that threw him slightly off balance Miriam caught him, her arms locking around his back. She crushed herself against the worn cotton of his salvaged shirt, burying her face into the fabric.

He wove his arms around her, far more gently than her own movements, holding her.

"He won't let you die", Jack heard her whisper against his chest. "I won't let you die either".

Jack did not reply, unsure of what to say. Instead he asked the only question he could think of. "Will you be alright?" In a hopeful afterthought he added quietly, "We could always find you another gun".

His suggestion earned a dry chuckle, and Miriam looked up at him relaxing her vice like grip on him. "I like that gun" she said, sadness ever clear beneath the attempted mirth.

"But I like you."

It was a strange childlike confession to make, somewhere between puppy love and a blushing teenage first encounter, and Jack felt the fool for saying it, sure that he'd ruined the moment.

He began to get flustered, spurting out a long string of apologies whilst trying to think of the appropriate thing to say. Miriam's method for silencing him was efficient, chaste and tortuously brief.

The kiss was so fleeting, Jack had barely time to register its touch. It just left him hungry.

Reluctantly she stepped back, a slight colour to her cheeks, "We should go. Atlas will come looking soon."

Jack nodded, somewhat dumbstruck. He followed her step, darting his hand forward to catch hers, making the contact between them last for those few precious seconds longer.


	9. Chapter 9: What they never learn

For a ghost of a moment Jack thought he could still feel the tingle of her lips on his cheek. Of course it was more likely to be blood now.

He tossed a hurried look down to the docks below him, the nearest bay lit with flickering, yellow light. It was still clear, though how it remained so he had no idea. How many had chased him relentlessly through the corridors? He'd lost count, knowing only that if he stopped to look, the tide of clawing limbs, crooked teeth, and glistening knives would sweep over him and he would drown amongst their hunger.

He lifted the radio to his dry lips, his hands trembling slightly. In a scratch of a voice he said "the coast is clear, for the moment". He swallowed, "I'm opening the door".

The reply came back slower than he'd expected, panic rose in him at the thought that maybe they'd both died beyond the metal, silently, in those few minutes it had taken him to find the controls.

He yanked the switch down in a jerk and started to run for the stairs hovering by the glass briefly as the shutter began to open. He held his breath. At first he could not see them. The corridor beyond was shrouded in shadow. Then, with the stride of a conquering hero, Atlas emerged from the gloom.

He shot a momentary look up to where Jack stood, then his full attention was taken by the bobbing bathy sphere and the entire world faded from his notice. Miriam walked behind him, her gun slung comfortably in her right hand.

How his heart burned to see her safe.

She looked up at him as Atlas had done, but her eyes lingered on his face, and he saw the beginnings of a smile crease her lips. Atlas' shout however made them both turn to the matter at hand.

"Open the door lad!" he shouted, his voice an unbalanced concoction of nervousness and excitement, though Jack could not tell which had the upper hand.

He darted back over to the controls and fumbled with the many switches, unsure which would open the subs door.

He heard Miriam's muffled voice as she said something along the lines of 'I'll go help him', but Jack did not glance up from the controls until he heard the sound of metal on the glass.

Fear, sickening and strong wrapped itself around his throat, squeezing any hopes of noise, be it warnings or threats. He only stared as the jagged curves of a half dressed woman snaking her way down the glass.

Andrew Ryan's calm voice, almost gentle, came crackling through his radio and gave narration to his horror.

"So dark in here… if only your friends could look up and see you… maybe you could warn them… if only you could do something… anything except just stand here… and watch them die…"

An explosion shook the floor from under him and shattered the glass, shards burying themselves deep in his chest. He cried out, staggering to his feet. Stumbling over to the now empty window he could only see the twisted corpse of a dislodged pipe. He could hear Atlas swearing and the sounds of gun fire crashed through the smoke.

Jack called out, but his shouts were lost to the din of battle. Swinging round, dizzy, his blood blooming onto the cream fabric of his shirt, petals unfurling into wide smooth arcs, he lunged for the doorway.

He couldn't recall how he crashed his way down the stairs, nor how he shot and killed the two splicers waiting for him, but he managed and stood now on a rusted metal walkway, the round structure of the bathy sphere ahead of him. He staggered towards it, throwing one leg out then dragging the other behind it. He drew close to the heat of the fires, when with as much warning as the first a second explosion tore through the air.

He was thrown back by the force of it, landing awkwardly in a heap. He tried to move but a great weight pushed itself down on him and he couldn't find the strength to counter it. In a ragged, pathetic voice he cried to the air in a great howl, till his throat throbbed with the strain.

In the silence that followed he heard only the creaking of metal and the crackle of the flames. A sob caught in his chest, he did not hold it back. Who was there to remain strong for now?

He felt his limbs begin to get cold, slowly, starting with the finger tips, slowly, creeping up his arms and legs. The lines of the rocky ceiling began to shift, swimming before his eyes, the lines slipping away from each other, dancing a dying waltz, lulling him into his weariness.

Yet something caused his to rouse. A sound, not fire, nor smoke, nor water, nor rubble. A steady monotonous sound, which he began to predict and emulate with every beat of his heart.

The click and clatter of footsteps, rushing with deliberate strides towards him.

"I'm sorry" she muttered, the words meaningless on her lips, tired as they were from the same three syllables. She gripped the shard between the metal teeth of the pliers, cursing quietly as the blood made the grips slick. With a tug, followed by the gut twisting sound of sliding flesh, she pulled the glass from it's perfectly formed slot.

He'd been lucky. If that were even the word most appropriate for the state. The glass was thick, well made, with few or no faults. It remained in one piece and did not shatter or crack as she worked. She could only dread what might happen if any shards remained inside him.

Placing the freed, dagger like object, on the top of the wooden crate beside her she placed the tool down. Using a reasonably unsoiled piece of cloth she wiped the blood from her hands, the thick crimson substance smearing where it had partly dried. She looked down at the now glass free flesh, noting with long since tempered surprise that the wounds were already closing.

"What are you Jack?" she asked the unconscious man, neither expecting nor wanting a reply. "Because you're sure as hell not human."

She was surprised when he stirred, his head lazily lolling to one side to follow the sound of her voice. Though to her relief it seemed like he hadn't heard her words.

"Miriam?" he croaked, shaking his head a little, stretching his muscles with an achingly slow movement.

Miriam smiled softly at his sleepy expression.

"Hey" she murmured, "How do you feel?"

Jack groaned, shifting a few inches on the covered surface of the crates, a shiver beginning to clasp his bones. "I've felt better" he grimaced.

He tried to sit, despite her immediate protests, pulling himself up. Miriam quickly moved the bloodied glass to the floor and helped him to lean against the stacked unloaded cargo containers. A pearly sheen of sweat gathered on his forehead and Jack tilted his head back and closed his eyes, his chest heaving with laboured breaths.

Miriam leant forwards mopping his damp face with another cloth.

"You shouldn't be straining yourself so much" she chastised him.

Jack grimaced, as curiously, he lifted his hands to feel the red wounds on his torso. "I really did a number to myself didn't I?" he half-heartedly smirked.

Miriam looked down at the broken skin, the deep jagged scars were now no more than shallow cuts. She wondered, if she stared for long enough whether she could see the flesh begin to knit itself together?

"Atlas!" Jack gasped, his eyes flying open. "What happened to Atlas?"

Miriam turned away to hide her face from Jack. She didn't speak. What could she say? Atlas and she had been separated by the blast, she had no radio. Could he have died? Somehow she doubted that her luck was that good. But was he watching now? Would he know if she spoke out of turn? There were no cameras in the storage room she'd dragged Jack to, no way he could know… unless Jack told him…

She gasped as a firm hand clasped her shoulder, fingers pressing a little too hard to be comfortable into her flesh. She looked back to Jack, his face was dark, his eyes blazed.

"Miriam! What happened to Atlas?"

Miriam had never heard his voice like that, it was low, it was serious and it scared her.

"I don't know" she answered truthfully. She shook her head, her dark hair escaping his ties, "I couldn't see, after the bathy sphere blew up…"

"WHAT!" Jack seized her other shoulder and pulled her closer to him. Horror started to flow into every line of his face, colour drained in it's wake. She could feel his hands shake as her held her in place. "They… Their dead then? Moira…? And Patrick?"

Miriam shook her head fiercely, she desperately wanted him to know, to understand. But could she risk it? "Jack was there never…"

"Jack? Boyo, can you hear me Boyo?"

The radio! They both looked to it, it lay beside Jack, about a metre away, just out of easy reach.

She didn't plan to move. She didn't have time, it was a gut reaction to _that_ voice. Two hands went out to grab the device. Two bodies lent towards it. Two faces almost met.

But one got there first, fingers caught the heavy edges of the buzzing contraption. It was Jack's radio, but Miriam clasped it firmly to her chest.

Jack still held her other shoulder, as she tried to escape with her prize he pulled her back. She ducked down, twisting his grip awkwardly, loosening it just enough to yank herself away. She stumbled back, half falling half colliding with the wall next to the bolted metal door. She felt the air pushed out of her lungs by the impact, she gasped haggardly in an attempt to inflate them once again and stop the burning that ripped through her chest. Her hands went out to the door, but in a moment a shadow loomed over her, a large hand caught her wrist, holding it in place, pinning it against the wall.

Jack scowled at her, she quailed in her heart but stood toe to toe with him. He opened his mouth, ready to speak but seemed unsure what to say.

"Jack, are you there kid?"

Jack's eyes flickered down to the radio still clutched to Miriam chest, then back to her own gaze, fiery and intense. He moved his free hand to the radio, prying her fingers from it one by one.

"Don't answer". Her voice stopped him for a moment, just a brief pause.

"Why?" he asked.

She could not answer. "Please, don't…"

But it was too late, he pulled the device from her and lifted the radio to speak.

"Atlas. We're here."

Miriam held his gaze. She did not look away, though she felt the prick of tears behind her eyes, she did not allow them to fall. His only remaining sense made him do the same, he would not break that link between them, even as the mad man gave him heated instructions of his next objective.

"Would you kindly go to Hephaestus and kill Andrew Ryan."

Something in Jacks eyes changed. It was so slight and so deeply buried Miriam wasn't sure she'd seen it.

"Got it."

Jack switched the radio off and clipped it onto his belt.

A shimmer of glass was thrown up between them in that dividing moment. Suddenly, with no turning back Jack had lost his innocence.

Miriam let the hand that had held the radio fall down to her side, where it bumped limply off the white washed wall at her back. Then she became still.

Jack lent his head down.

Her heart thundered in her chest, but she made no move.

He peered at her, so closely his breath, warm and slightly damp, coiled against her cheeks. He spoke slowly, he let the words hang between the slip of air between their faces. There was no compassion in his voice. "What was there never?"

Miriam stared bitterly at him, inside her a knife had been thrust, where it cut it stung and bled. It wrenched and the tenderness that had started to take root there, pulling and cutting, tearing the soft flesh, leaving more scars. She trembled in his grip. The pain within travelled up and along her limbs, it pulled her nerves so tight she felt strung. It was all the energy she possessed not to scream.

"Let me go"

Jack stepped back, but he did not immediately comply. He hesitated. Watching and waiting, but she would give nothing away.

"Fine". He let her captive wrist fall to her side.

Miriam stepped past him and stooped to pick up the bloody plier and her gun from the floor. She thrust the gun into her coat pocket. Feeling the heavy weight of the pliers in her hand she turned to Jack, who was half way through pulling the shirt she'd found him over his head. She felt a tremor take her muscles as his head emerged from the clean white cloth. She gripped the metal fiercely.

Miriam walked past Jack again, she pushed the tool into his stomach, pressing them to his flesh, not bothering to hide the tell-tale shakes.

"You should choose your friends more wisely"

She let the pliers go, and they clattered to the floor.

Jack, for only the briefest of moments saw the shimmer of a tear on Miriam's cheek.

_Well… _

_Nope no excuses. You've heard them all a million times before, so I won't repeat. A thousand apologies, and a million thankyou's to those of you still here. _

_Warning: Those of you who know the progression of levels will know what's coming up. Those of you who don't… It's Arcardia, and stuffs about to get real bad, real quickly. Consider yourselves warned. _

_Happy Reading!_


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